3 year old Christian child subjected to brutal rape while learning at UNICEF sponsored school.
Published: Mon, 08/23/21
The speed in which the Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan despite the assurances of both US and UK military strategists and leaders, that Government forces had the training and equipment to hold them back has shocked the world. The resulting chaos at Kabul airport as thousands of people seeking an exit ,fearful of the hard-line sharia-based rule that will ensue and revenge attacks, has already led to several deaths and many injuries.
Pakistan has strengthened it's borders since the Taliban uprising began and are offering little assistance to fleeing refugees, despite alleged participation and help provided to develop the insurgent group. Although 12000 people have been evacuated by the US and other western nations many more may join this number. Little recompense for the many collaborators that helped coalition forces in there desire to create a more free Afghanistan. Condemnation from many commentators has done little to enhance the desire for the US to retain their security forces at Kabul to calm the fleeing masses.
In the next few days we will be speaking with J an Afghan Convert to Christianity who we heled relocate to a safe house in 2018, far away from his former home in Kent, where he was being targeted for being an apostate (quitter of Islam). He will be sharing his knowledge of the previous period of Taliban rule and his fears for the country now. He has called for prayers for the many hidden Christians in Afghanistan and for other minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs, the Shia Muslims and Hazara community that reside there (click here). He has also asked for prayer for the many women and girls in Afghanistan who have enjoyed new freedoms over the last 20 years who will now be distressed and concerned about how this new regime will treat them.
The US have frozen billions of dollars held by the former government as has the IMF in tandem causing great economic strain. Moreover fears of a brutal regime despite assurances of a desire to bring stability amidst a display of a more moderate tone by the Taliban and potential retaliations against supporters of the previous Government, could lead to 100,000s more fleeing the country. This could create a migrant crises somewhere near the scale of the 2015 Refugee Crisis (click here). We call for prayer for the people of Afghanistan, for peace to return to the country which has been ravaged by 40 years of war.
"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-9During the last period we have continued distributing meals for the homeless in the London Borough of Redbridge, at Clementswood Community Centre. I revisited the centre after a 4 week period of absence and was surprised to see it was operating better than ever though costs have reduced drastically since we relinquished our hall (click here) . We initially shared the reusable items that donors have provided to us amongst the homeless of Redbridge and whatever was not taken up has been sent to Pakistani churches. We also sent some of our older Publications which are now being shared with NGO's and academics to help fuel the human rights movement in Pakistan (click here).
We remind you that we no longer have the tenancy for the community centre and if you live in Ilford or the surrounding area and wish to drop items off to us, this will have to be coordinated. You can call us on 020 8500 1192 and we will get back to you with a date for the deposit. Please remember goods must be in good condition, clean and within appropriate bags for us to then work towards a distribution.
Pakistan
Headline Story: A three year old Christian child has been raped while attending a UNICEF sponsored school in Raiwind, Pakistan. Police are investigating the husband of Mrs Saleem the Principal of the school, for the alleged rape. British Asian Christian Association are helping the family with the legal costs required to obtain justice. Read more (here)
A 16 year old girl was grabbed and abducted by gunmen who first kicked open the door to her house and beat her sisters and grandmother who tried to resist the abduction. Muqadas Nadeem has not been since, though papers confirming her marriage to one of the abductors have now arrived at their home. Although BACA has managed to challenge police to begin an investigation, Muqadas's father believes they are intentionally delaying things in order to allow time for the Muslim abductor to force the girl to his will and may have received a bribe. BACA has agreed to fund the legal costs for the family and have already provided some financial support. If you would like to help us provide the necessary support to get this family some justice and a return of Muqadas, then please donate (here). Read more and watch video (here).
We wrote about the mother and son who had been shot dead by Muslim neighbours offended about the ritual impurity that their presence created in the local area. The attack has left a father, wife and two young children fearful, impoverished and deeply anguished however one donor has now agreed to fund a regular £50 a month for the foreseeable future to support this family - we are hoping to find a second donor to help reach our target of £100 a month to replace the lost income of the main breadwinner in this home. Read more (here). We will update you regarding this family next week however if you are moved to donate towards help for this family please do so (here).
We are entering the final hearing stages of the rape case for Tabitha a 6 year old chid who was kidnapped and raped by a Muslim paedophile in Pakistan. Arguments will be heard and a decision made by the judge hopefully next month should no postponement arise. We are very confident of a victory in this case and you can learn more (here). We continue to support this impoverished family financially, provide them with a safe house, while also covering all costs for their travel to court and to our solicitor - it is naturally expensive. If you can help with a donations towards this effort for the family please donate (here).
A Hindu boy of 8 broke a short-standing record in Pakistan when he began the youngest child ever arrested for blasphemy in Pakistan. The poor boy urinated on the grounds of an Islamic Madrassa (seminary) after being frightened and chased by a cleric, resulting in accusations of blasphemy by the same cleric. Read more (here) The previous record was held by Christian girl Rimsha Masih who was 11 years old when she was accused of ripping and burning a Koran by an Islamic cleric, despite having a severe mental condition. It was later discovered that the Imam had torn and burnt shred of the Koran to implicate Rimsha by placing the bag in the child's hand before slapping her and shouting obscenities, while he gathered people to lynch her - we know this as some of his deputies later confessed this in court. Sadly the deputies later rescinded their statements after pressure built from a majority Muslim community desiring to protect the reputation of Islam and although initially arrested, the cleric escaped punishment. After a huge international clamour Rimsha was fortunate enough to have been offered asylum in Canada. The cleric intended to use the blasphemy attack to malign the Christian enclave from near his mosque and was successful as the mob he led attacked the Christian community who initially fled the area and made makeshift homes in a forest, but later set up a tent community in Islamabad, where the Government has been trying to turf them out ever since despite offering no compensation. Read more (here)
Last month we reported on the attack on Nurse Tabeeta who was beaten, almost burned alive and nearly made to sign a confession that she was guilty of a crime she never committed, after a false blasphemy accusation. Nurse Tabeeta who is a renowned Gospel Singer has had to flee the country for her safety. A Muslim nursing colleague has made a heartfely video plea for her safety, condemning the attack, refuting any blasphemy occurred and calling for Muslim introspection. We share a video of Tabeeta singing a Gospel song, video footage of the attack on Nurse Tabeeta and the inspiring video by the Muslim colleague. Read more and watch the videos (here).
We also wrote about two nurses Mariyam Laal and Nevish Arooj who were accused of blasphemy after removing a bacteria infested sticker from a cupboard that had some Islamic text. The two nurses are still in prison though they have not yet been formally charged as the Judicial Procedure Unit desire for an increase in the charges being made against the two nurses. A brother of Nurse Mariyam has informed us that he believes that the allegations were made by the Head Nurse after Nurse Mariyam refused to work further shifts in a COVID-19 ward due to having undertake 3 solid months of shifts there. Nurse Mariyam apparently made a complaint that Christian nurses were unfairly being asked to cover all shifts in the COVID-19 ward which created animosity. You can read a full update (here)
You can donate towards any of the appeals above (here).
We thank you for your support and prayers for British Asian Christian Association, which has enabled us to continue our work for 12 years. At this current time we are looking for new trustees especially those skilled in a secretarial role and safeguarding role. We are also seeking volunteers who would be willing to write for our blog and to help with our Meals for the Homeless project. If you are interested in any of the above please get in contact.
Blessings
Hannah Chowdhry
Below we list all of the current stories listed above in date order if any of the links do not work or are incorrect you can find the accounts using our international blog link (click here) or local London community blog (here). Please feel free to peruse only the accounts that are interesting for you.
Hope for a Nayya (new) Pakistan rises as a Muslim nurse with strong good moral conviction challenges abysmal treatment of Nurse Tabeeta who was attacked after a false accusation of blasphemy!
Tabeeta Gill, a Pakistani Christian nurse and a Gospel singer, was falsely accused of having committed blasphemy on 28th January 2020. We reported full details of this in a previous article which you can read (here).
Tabeeta was tortured: slapped, beaten with clubs and dragged from the third floor of the hospital to the ground floor. An abortive attempt was made to burn her to death. However after surviving a few nurses close to her spoke up for her and with their help and other NGO's she was able to extricate herself from police custody and she has now fled the country.
Read full account (here)
Christian nurses forced to work continuously in COVID-19 ward accused of blasphemy when she resisted on basis that burden should be shared with Muslims
Two nurses of District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) were arrested under the notorious blasphemy law of Pakistan despite being involved in the countries COVID-19 response.
On 9th April 2021, an application was filed with the local police authority against Mariyam Laal, charge nurse and Nevish Arooj a third year student of nursing accusing them of committing blasphemy. It was said that they had removed a [bacteria-infested] sticker with sacred inscription in Arabic, from a cupboard they were asked to clean in a psychiatric ward.
Read full account
Revisiting the new BACA homeless service since a short summer break
By Hannah Chowdhry
It has been a while since I directly helped at the British Asian Christian Association 'Meals for the Homeless' project. This is because I have been busy over the summer passing my CBT, revising my A Level courses and having some time out to relax.
So you can imagine, I wanted to see what changes have been made to the service in my absence as we have now relinquished the property which is now with another Muslim charity who allow us free use of the building to continue our work. The charity are also collaborating with us by providing food on a monthly basis that compliments our foodbank serving local families with young children.
Read full account (here)
Distributing formerly loved items to deprived families who will cherish them
In a world with depleting resources it gives us so much pleasure to be able to share good quality items that still have a shelf life to needy families that not only appreciate them but cherish each gift. This month some Asian donors have given some very high quality Asian clothes that families can use to wear on weddings and other special occasions such as going to church, which is still classed as special in Pakistan.
Pakistani Christians have become an underclass in Pakistan, with only 7% attaining an adequate level of literacy, despite $billions of foreign aid funding from the US and UK, much of which is ostensibly provided to induce holistic educational reform. 1 million Pak-Christians are bonded under indentured labour, after a ancestral patriarch had given up their liberty for a mere £50 or less, signing a brutal contract with a thumbprint unable to read any of the contract that placed themselves and their offspring into modern day slavery forever. Though Pakistan has introduced the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act in 1992, the law has yet to be used to free these slaves. In fact Christians seeking freedom have been killed (click here) with no prosecution of the slave masters or their cronies. Many Christians work in unhealthy and unsafe conditions contributing to a low life expectancy (click here). Others work as sweepers they are bullied and killed (click here), and provincial governments set adverts that allow only Christian applicants for sweeper roles (click here) - they say it is positive discrimination.
Read full account (here)
16 year old Christian girl wrenched from the safety of her home by Muslim gun gang, in sight of shocked onlookers and later forced into Islamic Marriage
A 16 year old Christian girl was forcibly abducted from her own home while her grandmother and sisters tried to prevent the gang of Muslim men who entered their house from enacting the crime.
At around 11.30 am, Monday, 9th August, Muqadas Nadeem Masih (16 yrs) from Shorkot, Jhang, was abducted from her home in front of her family and other villagers by Muhammad Azeem Malik and two burly cohorts, all armed with pistols.
At the time Muqadass and her younger sister were working on household chores with their grandmother Sardara Bibi (75 yrs). Her parents Nadeem Masih (40 yrs) and Akhtar Parveen (40 yrs) were out of the home working. Parveen is a domestic cleaner for a local wealthy Muslim family and Nadeem works as a local government street cleaner on daily wages.
Read full account (here)
Two years after rape of 6 year old Christian trial begins in earnest
After a Christian girl of only six years was beaten and raped after being forcibly taken to the home of a Muslim man in broad daylight in September 2019, BACA stepped in to help- read more (here).
We provided a solicitor and began the legal procedure to get justice, however the perpetrator Mr Muhammed Waqas and his cohorts began threatening the Christian parents with violence, further rape of Tabitha and their other daughters and financial ruin if they proceeded with a legal case against paedophile Muhammad Waqas (18 yrs). The intimidation towards the family heightened after the rapist was bailed despite clear evidence of his crime and BACA made a decision to move the family to a safe house in a secret location. Read more (here).
Read full account (here)
Hindu boy of 8 years becomes youngest ever blasphemy arrest and faces potential 10 year sentence
A Hindu enclave in a village called Bhong, was attacked and warned of more severe attacks by a mob of Muslims incensed by allegations that an 8 year old child had urinated in a Muslim cemetery.
Around 10 am, on 24th July, Bhavish Kumar Meghwar a young Hindu child accidentally entered the grounds of Dar-Ul-Aloom Arabia Taleem Ul-Quran Bhong Sharif, which is a madrassa (seminary of Islam). The Imam responsible for the madrassa, Hafiz Muhammad Ibrahim noticed the young Hindu boy in the yard and started abusing and reprimanding him as he set out to grab the terrified child. Totally confused and afraid, the boy urinated through fear and managed to outrun a full grown man through a burst of adrenaline.
The next morning, however (25th July) Hafiz Ibrahim visited Bhong Police station and lodged an application for the arrest of Bhavish Meghwar. In order to appease the Imam and a mob he had brought to the police station, officers of the law decided to register a First Information Report (FIR) under the grounds of blasphemy quoting the notorious Section 295A of the Pakistan Penal Code. Though it is not lawful in Pakistan to prosecute a minor of only 8 years, police officers used 'their initiative' and registered the crime against an unknown.
Read full account (here)
3 year old Christian child subjected to brutal rape while learning at UNICEF sponsored school.
A three year old Christian child has been raped while attending a UNICEF sponsored school in Raiwind, Pakistan. Police are investigating the husband of Mrs Saleem the Principal of the school, for the alleged rape.
Video taken from public Facebook page of Saleem Iqbal: Punjab Minister for Human Rights Mr. Ijaz Alam Augustin confirms rape of child of 3 years at UNICEF funded school. In the video he confirms that attempts were being made by some of the compatriots of Muhammed Saleem to lay blasphemy charges on the family of Anna to thwart justice.
On 5th July 2021, Anna Chand had begun an educational program at 'UNICEF School System' (name given to a UNICEF funded home school), based at Kot Kala Sunder Road, Raiwind. Her father Chand Masih (23 yrs) works as a sweeper at a factory and her mother Roma (23 yrs) is unemployed meaning that their household was very deprived. When an offer of free education, school equipment and uniforms was brought to Roma's attention by other housewives, she found it hard to refuse. Roma wanted her daughter to have the best start to her education.
Read full account (here)